


bombs and pets and the things in between

by solrosan



Category: James Bond (Craig movies), Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Biphobia, Bisexual Eggsy Unwin, Bisexual Male Character, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Homophobia, Homosexual Q, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Slice of Life, Timeline Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:40:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22119538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solrosan/pseuds/solrosan
Summary: The first time they meet is ordinary. As is the second, the third, the fourth… Actually, so are most of them. Most of the times they meet are ordinary even if so many other things in their lives are not. Except it isn’t ordinary, because it’s them.
Relationships: Q (James Bond)/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin
Comments: 25
Kudos: 139
Collections: 2019 Kingsman Stocking Stuffers





	bombs and pets and the things in between

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elletromil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elletromil/gifts).



> This is for the prompt: _An Eggsy/Q getting together fic. Preferably canon compliant. How did they meet? Did on save the other somehow? Did they just bump into each other getting coffee? Or did their colleagues play matchmaker? They are both too smart not to know what the other does and not to know that the other knows. Do they talk about it? Or make like they are two normal blokes. But seriously go wild._
> 
> And I promise I tried to go for canon compliant but with four movies with different timeline issues all of them it just... At least it's not completely non-compliant with canon. I hope you enjoy it :)
> 
> * * *

**1.**  
Merlin’s not alone when Eggsy comes into his office. There’s a man about Eggsy’s age -- perhaps a bit older? -- with fluffy brown hair and what seems to be Kingsman glasses standing next to him with an open laptop balancing on his arm.

Eggsy frowns. He hasn’t been here long enough to recognise all the Handlers, but he has a feeling he would remember meeting this one before. For the hair, if for nothing else.

Merlin and Fluffy both look up from the laptop when Eggsy enters. Fluffy smiles and Eggsy knows for sure that they haven’t met before.

“I swear, you’re worse than Harry,” says Merlin as a greeting. Then he waves his hand between them in introduction. “Aaron, meet Galahad. Eggsy, meet Q -- the Quartermaster at Mi6.”

“Eggsy?” Q says in the same way everyone always repeats his name the first time they hear it, as he extends his free hand over the laptop. 

Eggsy takes the hand. “It’s Gary, but no one calls me that.”

“Only when he misbehaves,” mutters Merlin. 

“Does that ever work?” asks Q. “It never works on mine.”

Merlin chuckles and Eggsy knows better than to protest. 

Q turns his laptop around so that Eggsy can see the screen. “The Mi6 would like your input on this, agent.”  
  
  
**3.**  
“Aw, shit, you’re already here.”

Q’s hair stands in every direction and his office looks as if a tornado just passed by. Eggsy can’t help feeling in the way even though he’s still standing outside of the room. And has been asked to come.

“Would you mind terribly if we popped across the street and got coffee before we go down to the garage?” Q asks. “I don’t think I’ve seen the sky in two days.”

“Erm, sure,” says Eggsy. “Or I can bring you some if you’re busy?”

“Two days without seeing the sky, agent.” Q’s already up from his chair. “Also, I don’t trust anyone to get my order right.”

“Then after you.”

“Gentlemen spies,” mutters Q. “Can you ask Merlin if I can send some Double-Os his way for etiquette training?”  
  
  
**8.**  
Working with the Mi6 is very restrictive.

“That what comes from working on a tax funded budget,” says Q when Eggsy comments on it when handing in the report on his second joint mission with a Double-O.

“And the Aston Martins?” 

“It’s to boost the economy. You know, to bring in more taxes so that I can repair all the things our agents and consultants mistake for chew toys.”

Eggsy laughs. He doesn’t mind occasionally being sent to Vauxhall one bit.  
  
  
**15.**  
It’s a nice party, one of those Eggsy wouldn’t have been allowed within 3 km of before he joined Kingsman. The Lord Chancellor's ball. White tie, waiters with a never ending supply of champagne and canapés, a bloody symphony orchestra that no one pays any attention to. Eggsy feels a bit bad for them.

He stands on the first floor, looking at the people mingling below him. Watching. Waiting. Searching. He hates these missions, not because they are boring as fuck, but also because the display of excess wealth and inequality makes his skin crawl. 

Deep down he’s still just a disenfranchised kid from the estates. 

...skin deep.

In the crowd something catches his eye. A head of fluffy hair and a pair of horn rimmed glasses. Unexpected to say the least, Q has never struck him as someone who moves in these circles. The smile that begins to spread across his face dies when he sees a woman in red walk up to Q with two glasses of champagne.

Fuck, Eggsy thinks when he recognise the feeling of disappointment in his chest. This is going to be a problem.  
  
  
**11.**  
Eggsy catches the ball Q tosses him on reflex. He looks confused between it -- turns out it’s not a ball but a knot made out of rope -- and Q.

“That’s an _actual_ chew toy,” says Q. “It’s fo J.B..” 

Eggsy blinks.

“I made these little toys for my cats with some scraps from the demolished test dummies the other night while I was waiting to hear from 003 and I found this leftover rope and thought I might be able to save the taxpayers some money if I directed it to a certain pug.”

A smile spreads over Eggsy’s face. “Q-branch: Bombs & Pets.”

“Something like that.” Q’s smile matches Eggsy’s.  
  
  
**20.**  
“I looked up your number,” Q blurts out as Eggsy is about to leave.

Eggsy stops in the door and turns around. Q is blushing and it’s clear that he hadn’t planned to admit that.

“I looked up your number,” he says again, “but, but I’d rather you gave it to me. If you want to, I mean.”

“Oh…”

“I’m sorry, this must sound really creepy and you’re probably not even interested and just forget--”

Eggsy grins. “Do you have a pen?”  
  
  
**21.**  
Neither of them calls their first date a date.

They meet for a pint after work at a place with prices that makes Eggsy choke on his beer. Q doesn’t seem to notice and Eggsy tells himself that he, too, has money now.

Eggsy’s entire body yells at him to reach out and touch Q, but they both keep their distance as they talk about their pets and their football teams. The alcohol doesn’t dull the ache, if anything it makes it worse. They sit close, so close, but Eggsy gets up to get their next round rather than let their knees “accidentally” touch. 

It’s a great evening.

They both say they should do it again sometime.  
  
  
**22.**  
_I really wanted to kiss you..._

Eggsy sends the text before he can change his mind. He’s on his way to the mansion to get on a plane with Gawain. It’s a four day mission in Eastern Russia. He never goes on missions expecting to die, but he really wants Q to know that just in case he does end up getting killed.

When he turns on his phone again after landing there is a text waiting for him.

 _Me 2_  
  
  
**26.**  
The second date starts out like the first (and they don’t call it a date this time either). 

Q knows about this great, tiny Vietnamese restaurant. Eggsy knows it’s close to where Q lives -- because Q isn’t the only one with access to databases with secure information -- and he’s beyond nervous about the implications. Yet they sit there, on opposite sides of the small table, laughing and talking about Pixar movies.

Eggsy thinks about the text. 

He aches to touch him. 

And suddenly he does.

They have finished eating, they just sit there, having ordered another round of rice wine because neither of them wants the evening to end yet. Eggsy takes the hand that has been placed palm up as an invitation for at least five minutes. 

There are no fireworks, but there’s an instant warmth. They both smile, holding on tight, and the conversation dies. Eggsy isn’t nervous anymore when Q tells him that he lives close by.

Q is clearly disappointed when Eggsy says he has to get back home to J.B., though, and truth be told, so is Eggsy. It doesn’t stop them from snogging each other silly outside Q’s door.

They both know that if Q asks again, Eggsy won’t be able to say no. Q doesn’t ask, because J.B. deserves better.  
  
  
**13.**  
Eggsy gets the distinct feeling that Q lingers, that he stays a little longer than necessary at Kingsman when he comes to talk to Merlin.

It’s ridiculous. Really. Because why would he?

But he does, or so Eggsy thinks, and when they happen to meet in the corridor they smile and nod. It is a problem. Or it will be.

Eggsy knows it, but he doesn’t know how to stop it.

And he doesn’t want to.  
  
  
**30.**  
It’s Q’s mobile that wakes them. It’s still dark outside and Q curses worse than Merlin when he tries to find his glasses. 

Eggsy props himself up on his elbow and turns on the bedside lamp. This isn’t how he imagined it would be waking up next to Q, but he’s happy that they finally managed to fall asleep together.

“I need to get to the office,” says Q when he hangs up -- as if Eggsy hasn’t figured that out from the scraps he hears of the conversation.

“You think I’m going to be called in too?”

Q shakes his head. “Nope. Strictly domestic this.”

He gives Eggsy a kiss when he leaves and orders him to go back to sleep.  
  
  
**33.**  
Spending the nights at home rather than going out to a pub means that they can actually talk about work -- inside the boundaries of their respective security clearances, but still. Q likes to cook when he has someone to cook for. It’s never anything overly fancy, but Eggsy loves every bite. He’s not spoiled when it comes to home made meals. 

They have opened their second bottle of wine when Eggsy says, “I saw the woman you went to the Lord Chancellor's ball with at the shop today.”

Q frowns. “What were you doing at the ball?”

“Working. No, you can’t ask.”

“Am I allowed to at least ask why Whitehall sends people to Kingsman these days?” asks Q, fighting a smile and losing.

“Probably not, but I don’t know why she came. I wasn’t in the room.” Eggsy feels his ears burn. “When I saw you two, I thought you were on a date…”

“We were. Sort of. Madeleine’s a friend and she needed a man for the event, and I, queer as a fruitcake as I might be, am still a man. And I look really smart in white tie.”

Something shifts in Eggsy’s mind. He stares, and before he knows it he blurts out, “You’re gay?”

Q laughs. “Yes. I thought that was fairly obvious.”

“I’m not.”

Q stops laughing immediately. He blinks once. Twice. Three times. Then a soft smile spreads across his face. “Okay. Okay, that’s… That’s okay. What are you?”

Eggsy wets his lips, feeling incredibly insecure all of a sudden. And stupid. He feels stupid for having assumed Q was bisexual based on a short glimpse of him at a party. 

“I’m bi,” he says, waiting a moment and when Q says nothing he asks, “Are you disappointed?”

“Christ. No. Eggsy… No.” Q reaches across the table and takes his hand. He’s still smiling. “Sorry. I just never thought I’d have a boyfriend come out to me.”

“Boyfriend?”

“Aren’t you? Aren’t we…?”

Eggsy smiles tentatively. There’s a warmth in his chest and he feels a strange relief. He nods. 

Boyfriend. He’s never had one of those before, not really.  
  
  
**73.**  
_It’s going to sound worse than it is_

_What is?_

_Merlin’s gonna call you_

_For fucks sake Gary! This is not an appropriate text conversation!_  
  
  
**42.**  
Eggsy has never introduced a man to his mates before. He has begged them for weeks to be on their best behaviour, knowing perfectly well that they would have been regardless. Except that he doesn’t trust them at all. And sure, fine, if they embarrass him, but what if they don’t like Q? Or perhaps even worse, what if he doesn’t like them?

They meet at a pub where the beer won’t ruin you. (At least not financially.) Eggsy has changed clothes four times. After a few beers Q can’t keep his hands off his bomber jacket. Before the night is over, Eggsy promise himself that he’ll get Q to wear it.

“I work at Vauxhall,” says Q when Ryan asks what he does. 

Eggsy stares as much as his friends before he remembers that people actually do work for the Mi6 and that it’s not quite as tightly guarded a secret anymore as it once was. He feels a sting of envy over the fact that Q can actually _tell_ people. It’s not all bad being funded by tax money, apparently.

“You’re a spy?”

“We call them agents,” Q says, “but no, I’m a software engineer.”

“Beauty _and_ brains,” says Jamal, whistling. “Damn, Eggs.”

“What did he do to get that nickname?” asks Q.

All of Eggsy’s friends look very innocent all of a sudden.

“Sorry, mate,” says Brandon. “That’s classified.”

Eggsy grins. He knew he could trust them.  
  
  
**51.**  
It’s Merlin who tells Eggsy about the dead Double-O agent. He doesn’t give him explicit permission to leave, but that’s how Eggsy interprets it.

He waits outside Q’s office. The door isn’t locked, but it doesn’t feel right stepping inside without being asked. If Eggsy would find an agent from another agency alone in Merlin’s office, no matter what credentials the agent would be able to produce… So yeah, he waits outside. 

The minutes pass slowly. When Q finally comes Eggsy sits on the floor. He pushes himself up. 

“Babe, I’m sorry,” he whispers. 

Q’s entire face crumbles and Eggsy doesn’t wait to be asked anymore. He pulls Q into his office and then into a hug. There are different kinds of safety procedures.  
  
  
**52.**  
“I want to be on your call sheet,” says Q. He sits at Eggsy’s kitchen table with a mug of tea and a half-eaten toast. That’s what’s on the menu when Eggsy makes breakfast.

Eggsy nods. “I’ll talk to Merlin when I get to the shop.”

“Thank you.”

Eggsy kisses the top of his head. They haven’t even said “I love you” yet, but this takes priority and Eggsy understands why.  
  
  
**76.**  
Their first really big fight is when Eggsy sides with one of Q’s agents. 

Unlike their dates, they call a shovel a shovel this time. 

They make up without anyone really apologising.  
  
  
**44.**  
Q doesn’t want to know when Eggsy goes after honeypots. He’s been very clear with that from (almost) day one.

That’s why it pains Eggsy to have to say, “We need to use a condom tonight.”

Q holds up, giving Eggsy a questioning look before the penny drops. “Oh, okay.”

It’s Eggsy’s first night after returning to London. They are still on the sofa -- and they don’t have sex on the sofa anymore -- with the remains of their takeaway dinner and a few beers on the table.

“Do you have any... questions?” Eggsy asks

“No.” 

“You sure?”

“I babysit agents for a living. Just because I don’t want to know doesn’t mean I don’t understand that things sometimes... happen.”

“I’m sorry.”

Q shakes his head. “Don’t be. Things happen, I know they happen so I much rather have you telling me these things than risking my health and lying about it.”

“And you still… want to, tonight?”

“I haven’t seen you in three weeks, what do you think?”

Q goes back to kissing him, giving Eggsy no time to answer.  
  
  
**45.**  
Q makes scramble eggs in the morning. Eggsy is pretty sure he didn’t have any eggs last night seeing how he has been out of the country for three weeks.

He feels a sudden urge to tell him that he loves him. He doesn’t. Instead he kisses his bare shoulder and neck and murmurs a “Good morning.”  
  
  
**49.**  
No one really believes that Eggsy takes Q’s measurements when they go into the fitting room.  
  
  
**56.**  
Q’s parents are polite, but that’s also about it. They say nothing inappropriate, but it’s clear that they don’t want to get to know the man dating their son. 

It’s a very… uncomfortable dinner. Eggsy follows Q’s lead through what feels like a conversational minefield, every word is weighed carefully as to not set something off. They talk about the weather and Q’s nieces and nephews. They talk about football. About the food. About the traffic. There is hardly a quiet moment and their waitress probably gets the impression that this is a really pleasant dinner. 

Q demonstratively holds Eggsy’s hand on the table. It makes it hard to eat, but Eggsy doesn’t complain. He can eat later, when they get home.

“It’s a work in progress,” says Q when they have walked two tube stops. “They are a work in progress.”

Eggsy kisses his cheek. “Thank you for letting me meet them.”

Q smiles weakly. They call en Über rather than walk the rest of the way.  
  
  
**70.**  
All Q’s friends are queer and spending time with them is exhausting. At least for Eggsy who didn’t meet another non-straight person until he was in his twenties. It’s also a bit disappointing, because not being the minority in the room isn’t as liberating as he had imagined that it would be. Instead he feels like an imposter most of the time since he doesn’t have (and has never had) a rainbow pin on his backpack or isn’t up to date with the latest terminology about whatever. And even if welcoming, they always make him feel small.

They are important to Q, though, so Eggsy always goes when he’s invited and he never asks to leave once they are there. He sees it as a point of professional pride to not let Q see how relieved he is when Q says it’s time to go.

The tube home is almost empty. Just the two of them and the poor sods heading in for their night shifts. Eggsy has his hands in the pockets of his jacket, Q reads work emails on his mobile even though he’s promised Eggsy to not do that when they are out. Eggsy finds it rather hilarious that Q thinks he can hide it from him when emails from M is the only thing in the world that makes him wrinkle his forehead like that.

Eggsy has been watching his profile for a while before he asks, “Does it bother you that I’m not gay?”

“Does it bother you that I am?”

“Of course not. That’s--”

“Then why would it bother me that you’re bi?” asks Q, looking up from his phone, smiling.

“You know why.”

Q becomes serious. “Did someone say something?”

”No.”

That clearly comes out too quickly judging by Q’s look. He puts away his phone. The train comes into the platform and Eggsy decides to leave this. It was a stupid question to start with. Q, however, doesn't seem to feel the same way and make sure they sit as alone as they possibly can once on the train.

”Who said something?” he asks when the train starts moving. ”Tell me.”

”No one said anything,” says Eggsy. And no one had. Not really. Not tonight. But there was that discussion last time about Becky’s ex who had gone back to dicks. And Eggsy knows that David would rather have a Gay for Pay than a bi guy in his bed. And perhaps the reason he went to get another beer tonight was the discussion about bisexuals in straight relationships at Pride. 

”Eggsy.”

”It’s nothing. It’s not like they know I’m bi or anything.”

”Sweetheart…” Q looks heartbroken when Eggsy glances at him. Q puts his hand on Eggsy’s arm, just above where his wrist disappears into the pocket. ”That shouldn’t matter.”

”As long as you don’t mind I’m bi, I don’t care.”

” _I_ care,” says Q, a fire in his hushed voice. ”They should know better and… and… I’m sorry I haven’t told them to shut up or something. I should--” He stops himself as the door to the train opens to let more passengers in. He then continues, ”I’m sorry you felt you had to ask. I’ll do better, because it really doesn’t bother me that you’re bi.”

Eggsy takes his hands out of his pockets and puts his arms around Q’s neck instead. He holds him tight, burying his face against his neck. Because this is a relief he can’t hide.  
  
  
**62.**  
Eggsy can’t get his hands to stop shaking. He sits on the floor in the bedroom in a state of half-undress. 

The door is closed and he can hear J.B. scratching it, trying to come in. It doesn’t matter that he yells at him to go away. Suddenly the door opens and J.B. comes running in. There, in the doorway, is Q. He doesn’t understand. He shouldn’t be here. He… He… He… A small light goes up for Eggsy. 

“Merlin?” he stutters.

Q nods as he crosses the room. “Merlin.”

Q sinks down in front of Eggsy. He takes his hands and looks him in the eyes. He takes deep breaths through his nose and out his mouth. It takes a while, but soon Eggsy follows.

In through the nose, out through the mouth.

When he starts crying, Q holds him close.

“I know what happened,” Q whispers. “I know what you did. It was the right call.”

Eggsy sobs into Q’s jumper and clings onto it as if his life depends on it.  
  
  
**66.**  
Eggsy sits on the hotel bed, feet pulled up under himself, studying the old fashion, cellulose based map of Brussels that Q has teased him about the entire way from London. They are on a joint mission -- or vacation, if you ask Eggsy. He doesn’t understand why Q keeps insisting on calling it a mission, it’s not like they have done a single minute of work.

Q emerges from the bathroom, a towel around his waist, followed by a cloud of steam and the scent of hotel lotions. He sits down behind Eggsy and gives him a kiss on the neck. 

“You’re not still upset about the bed-thing, are you?” he murmurs against his skin.

“No,” Eggsy mutters. It’s not true, it still rubs him the wrong way that the woman who checked them into the hotel had said that there had apparently been something wrong with their booking since they had a room with a double bed rather than two singles. “I’m upset about the bar.”

”The bar?” 

Eggsy looks over his shoulder at Q who looks completely confused. 

”They ignored us, pushed us to the back, and then ignored us some more.”

Q’s confused look becomes a tired one and he sighs. He gives Eggsy another kiss, on the lips this time, and gets up to get dressed.

”Don’t let the idiots ruin our vacation,” he says. ”We got the drinks, didn’t we?”

“Don’t you mean ‘mission’?” Eggsy mutters, but Q doesn’t take the bait.

Eggsy wants to argue with him -- mostly because he’s hurt and wants to argue with _someone_ and Q is the only one around -- and ask why he doesn’t care that they had been shoved aside like that. That would never have happened if he’d been there with a woman. 

The words are on the tip of Eggsy’s tongue, ready to be spit out, when it dawns on him that Q might not know that, or at least hasn’t experienced the differences. He’s used to this, these types of incidents don’t get a rise out of him because they barely register anymore. They got their drinks and no one had been openly rude.

He feels incredibly stupid and looks back at the map he can’t remember why he pulled out in the first place. He doesn’t dare to ask Q why he insists on calling this a joint mission again.  
  
  
**81.**  
”Agent?”

Eggsy opens his eyes. Fuck. This is bad, he’s hallucinating. Merlin sounds exactly like Q. It’s not like he’s unaware that every time he leaves for a mission there’s a risk he’s not coming back again, but he doesn’t think about it. That’s no way to live.

It appears that this is the way he’s going to die, though, from a stray bullet somewhere west of Glasgow. He can feel the blood pulsating out from under his fingers and apparently the blood loss is reaching critical levels if he hallucinates. At least it doesn’t hurt that bad anymore. As long as he doesn’t breathe.

”Agent, can you hear me?” 

”Yes, I--” Eggsy coughs. It hurts like Hell and he whimpers. ”Yes.”

”Merlin called,” says Merlin, which makes no sense to Eggsy. ”He thought I, that you…”

Merlin pauses and takes a deep breath. Only it isn’t Merlin. Except it can only be Merlin. It’s always Merlin. 

”Aaron?” asks Eggsy anyway.

”Yes?”

There’s a rush of warmth. He’s not hallucinating. He’s probably still going to bleed out, but his mind is still with him. And Q is on the other end.

Eggsy smiles. ”Do you still want to be on my call sheet?”

”Yes. Yes! Yes, I… yes.” There is another pause. ”I love you.”

Q says the last bit so quietly that Eggsy almost misses it. He closes his eyes again, thinking about what feels like the thousand times he’s wanted to say those words but never did.

This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.  
  
  
**-1.**  
The first time they meet they don’t really meet. 

Eggsy is running late and bumps into a customer leaving the shop on his way in. His only thought as he mumbles an apology is that the man looks too young to dress like Merlin. 

He forgets all about him the moment the door closes and he hurries upstairs to the Table.  
  
  
**75.**  
When Eggsy comes down the stairs to the shop at the end of the day, Dagonet gives him a very pointed look. Eggsy frowns, but follows the man’s finger as he points to the sofas. There, hunched over his laptop, sits Q. Eggsy’s frown deepens -- Q hasn’t told him he’s meeting with Merlin today.

“This is not a café, Galahad,” Dagonet hisses. 

Eggsy winks at the old man, smiling, and steps onto the shop floor.

“You’re not working, are you?” asked Eggsy, getting a nonsensical noise in reply. “You know we do get more than the occasional civilian customer.”

“Mhm.”

“I can let you upstairs, I’m sure Merlin’s just--”

“I’m not here to see him,” says Q. He saves what he’s doing and closes the laptop. “I’m -- in lack of a better word -- hiding.”

Eggsy can’t help giggling. “Next to a shop window?”

The look on Q’s face when he finally looks up at Eggsy wipes the grin off Eggsy’s face. He sinks down on the sofa next to him.

“Can I help?” he asks quietly, because he knows asking about details is a fool’s errand. 

“No, it’s much below your pay grade. Domestic intelligence. Or you know, politics.” He takes a deep breath. “I really needed to see you… That’s why, that’s why I’m here. I’m sorry.”

Eggsy takes his hand. “What do you say about hiding at my place instead?”

“Yes, please.”

Q gathers his things, he lets Eggsy take the backpack when he offers, but he keeps the laptop close to his chest as they leave the shop.  
  
  
**23.**  
Eggsy puts down a large Starbucks mug on Q’s desk.

“Triple, venti, half-sweet, non-fat, caramel soy latte,” he says.

Q just smiles.  
  
  
**37.**  
Eggsy goes with Q to the vet when it’s time to let Dottie -- his oldest cat -- go.

They are shown to a room with a dark grey sofa, green plants and a plush rug. Eggsy wonders how that can be at al practical at a vet’s office.

The veterinarian gives Dottie an injection and then they sit there on the sofa, waiting. Q has her in his lap, stroking her. Eggsy has a hand on Q’s knee. They don’t speak and Eggsy has no idea how long it takes for Dottie to stop breathing.

He knows it takes three hours for Q to stop crying.

That night.  
  
  
**58.**  
“I don’t want children.”

Eggsy stops brushing his teeth. He spits and turns to Q. “I know.”

Q visibly relaxes. “You do?”

“I’m a trained spy. And at least once a month you babysit Daisy with me.”

Q looks a little busted. It makes Eggsy smile.

Daisy _adores_ Q.

Q tolerates Daisy, which makes him that much dearer to Eggsy. It takes dedication to sit through yet another tea party when you’re not a fan of children. Eggsy can attest that it’s not at the top of the to-do list even when you like children.

“Do you want any?”

Eggsy shrugs. It would be a lie to say that he hasn’t thought about it, because he has. He hadn’t before he realised Q didn’t want any, but now he has and he doesn’t know the answer to that question. 

He’s 25, currently working the same job that killed his dad. Who knows if he lives to see 30? 

“I rather have you,” he says and hopes it’s true in the long run.  
  
  
**82.**  
Q sits next to him. 

The room is dark, but Q definitely sits next to him, his face lit up by his mobile. That’s a clear indicator that it hadn’t ended with a gunshot wound in Scotland. Another is that it still hurts like Hell. 

Or maybe not? Eggsy suspects morphine or other opioids of some kind.

”Hey…” Eggsy mumbles, his voice hoarse and his throat dry. 

Q looks up so fast Eggsy’s afraid he’d snap his neck. 

”Hi there,” says Q, getting on his feet. He pockets his phone and presses the button next to Eggsy’s bed.

Eggsy wishes he hadn’t. That would definitely bring the doctors here, or at least a nurse, and he really wants to be alone with Q. He groans when Q turns on a bedside lamp. 

”How are you feeling this time?” Q asks gently, taking his hand.

Finally.

”This time?”

”This is the fourth time you wake up after the surgery.”

”Hu?” 

”It’s two days since you got shot. It… it was touch and go there for a while.”

Eggsy squeezes his hand. It takes some effort, but it feels really important to show Q that he’s still there and that he’s not going to leave this time. 

”How… did I…?”

Q smiles and squeezes his hand back. ”I’ll let Merlin debrief you properly when he sees fit. For now, let’s just say you owe the taxpayers a bit more than a few chewing toys.”

Eggsy’s not sure he can wait for Merlin to get that story, because the last thing he remembers… the last thing… He takes a deep breath. 

”Did I... say it back?”

”What?”

”I love you.”

Q nods. ”You did.”

Eggsy smiles. _This_ is how it’s supposed to be.


End file.
